Flagler Hospital is Among Top 5% of Hospitals in Clinical Outcomes in Nation According to Healthgrades

Flagler Hospital today announced that it has received the Healthgrades 2016 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™. The distinction makes Flagler Hospital one of the top five percent of more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide for its clinical performance as measured by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. The hospital earned 5 stars in 22 of the 32 common inpatient conditions and procedures, as evaluated by Healthgrades, and was also named in America’s 100 Best for orthopedic surgery and pulmonary care.

“Earning a place among the top 5% of hospitals in our country reflects the unwavering commitment of our staff, our community physicians, our leadership team and our board of directors to achieve the very best clinical outcome for every patient, every time," commented Flagler Hospital CEO, Joe Gordy, during a hospital town hall meeting where a Healthgrades representative was onsite to present the award. "Our community should be proud of this tremendous accomplishment, just as I am proud to work among such passionate people who truly care about our mission and maintain a commitment to caring for our community year after year."

In the Jacksonville, FL area, there were 2 hospitals out of 8 eligible hospitals recognized as recipients of the Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award. As evaluated by Healthgrades, Flagler Hospital is among the hospitals in the Jacksonville, FL area with some of the best quality care across a broad spectrum of common inpatient conditions and procedures.

From 2012 through 2014, Healthgrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence, as a group, had a 26.5% lower risk adjusted in-hospital mortality rate across 19 procedures and conditions where mortality was the clinical outcome, compared to all other hospitals. During this same period, if all other hospitals performed at the level of Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence across these 19 procedures and conditions, 158,858 lives could potentially have been saved. For example, patients treated at a hospital that achieved the Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award had, on average, a 32.0% lower risk of dying from heart failure than if treated at a hospital that did not receive this distinction.

“When it comes to hospital selection, two of the most important questions to consider are where you are most likely to have a complication-free hospital stay and which hospital offers the best chance of survival, both during the hospital stay and in the weeks that follow,” said Evan Marks, Chief Strategy Officer, Healthgrades. “Selecting a hospital that has achieved Healthgrades 2016 Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence award is one way to be confident that you will receive the right care.”

The 260 recipients of the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ stand out among the rest for overall clinical excellence across a broad spectrum of care. During the 2016 study period (2012-2014), these hospitals showed superior performance in clinical outcomes for patients in the Medicare population across at least 21 of 32 of the most common inpatient conditions and procedures —as measured by objective performance data (risk-adjusted mortality and in-hospital complications). To learn more about how Healthgrades determines Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ recipients, please visit www.healthgrades.com/quality.

*Area evaluated refers to Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA)